Air washer and carburetor



March 6, 192s. 1,661,540 H. MCCORNACK AIR WASHER AND CARBURETOR Filed sept. 2. 1921 s sheets-sheet 2 ma M A TTURNEYS March s, 192s. 1,661,540

H. MCCORMACK 'x l I 7. i 700 J 9? i 98 i 96 i mi 704 I n :f

i I l e@ l l i. 70 I ma a? F6 y 90 i 1 g5. J i 95 l uvm/ron @J2/M@ ff@ Patented Mar. 6, 1928..

HERBERT` MccoRNAcx, 0E GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY.

AIR WASHER AND CAREURETOR. Y

Application led September 2,1921. Serial No. 498,110.

This inventionrelates to air washers and carburetors used for supplying fuel to internal combustion engines.`

The general ob'ect ofmy invention is to provide a new an improved air washer and carburetor which will be efficient and reliable in operation and will supply a proper mixture of washed air andfuel to the engine in connection with ywhich the invention is used. lVhile one ofthe principal novel features of the invention is the .arrangement whereby air iscleansed and moi'stened, certain other featureswof my air washer andL carburetor are believed by 4me to be useful and novel, and these'also will be claimed as part of my present invention. y

The invention will be understood from thefollowingdescription, taken in connection with the "accompanying drawings, in which i y y Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of a carburetor embodying my invention; p

Fig. 2-is a sectional plan on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3-3 of Fig.2; y, ,y

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; y

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lowery half of the carburetor, the carbureting chamber and the parts above it being removed; i

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on the'line 6-6 of Fig. 5; y

Fig. 7 is an elevation, partly in' section, of a form vof air cleanser and moistener embodying the invention which may be used in connection with any carburetor.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing the device of Fig. 8 arranged in cooperation with a carburetor; and .Y

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation of` a portion of the slotted member through which `the air is admitted in the device shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figure 1, the carburetor is shown as having a central portion 11, preferably of cast metal, in whichislocated the fuel reservoir 12, receiving fuelthrough a pipe 13 leading to a source of fuel supply (not shown). The level of the fuel in the reservoir 12 is maintained substantially constant by means of a needle'valve V14, of' any well known form, controlled bya f1oat15 attached to a lever 16 which is pivoted at 1'?"-L and connected to a' needle valve 14 by a balland-socket joint 18, as shown.

Below the central portion of the carburetoris the air cleanser and moistener, which will now be described.` In the form shown, this comprises a vessel 19 formed by a. cylindrical sheet metal casing 20, open jat its lower end and atits upper end provided with an axial opening adapted to engage a flange 21 extending downwardly from the central casting 11. At itsbottom edge, the

casing 20 is adapted to fit within the flanged` edge 24 of a member 25, which is tangentlally slotted, as shown in Figuresl, 2 and 3.

Surrounding and frictionally engaging the` member 25, is a cylindrical cup l26,whiclr contains the cleansing and moistening fliq-J uid, usually water. The cup 26, which? is provided witha rib 27, which engages a groove in the member 25, extends upwardly somewhat beyond the top of flange 24, andk thus provides an annular spacebetween the upper edge of said cup, and the casing 20 and above the flanged edge 24 of the slotted member 25. Theair for the explosive mixture enters the carburetor` downwardly through this -annular .space,"through` the outer portion of the slots 2S, under the lower edge of the casing 20, and upwardlyA through the inner portions. ofthe slots 28,

which are covered with the cleansing and The necessary supply of liquid is fed to the cup 26 through a pipe 30 which extends upwardly through the carburetor, and at its upper end passes through a cork 31 inthe bottom of aclosed receptacle 32 containing y the supply of liquid. As the liquid inthe cup isused up, air^ will gradually enter at the bottom of the pipe 30 and will passup into the reservoir 32, thereby permitting y the liquid to flow from said reservoir downwardly through ,the pipe 30 and intofthe cup 26 until'the bottom oftthe pipe 30 is again sealed by the liquid. T he member 25 is provided withl a hole 34 through which the dirt in the liquid settles into fthe cup 26; and holes 3,5 nearthe top of the member 25` provide communication between the stpace above and the space below the middle o the member 26. The pipe 30 'serves not only` tit) .- communicates axiall to convey the liquid to the pan 27, but also to hold together the various parts of the carburetor. At its bottom end, the pipe is threaded and provided with a wing-nut 37, which screws against a perforated washer 38. Between the washer 38 and the member 25, is preferably interposed a yielding and porous packing material 39. lVith this construction, it will be understood that the inember 25 is drawn upwardly into firm engagement with the lower edge of the casing 20 and that the latter is drawn upwardly toward the central casting.

As best shown in Figure 5, the fuel reser- 2 voir 12 is annular in form and occupies circumferentially about three-fourths of the space within the central casting 1l. The remaining portion of the central casting forms an intermediate chamber 40 which with the vessel 19 above described within wiich the air is cleansed and moistened. The intermediate chamber 40 is provided on its curved wall with a passage 41 of the form best shown in Figures l, 5 and G. This passage 41 forms a circumferential communication between the intermediate chamber 4t) and the mixing chamber 42 above it. This mixing chamber 42 is formed by a sheet metal cylindrical casing 43, the lower edge of which rests Within a flange 44 at the top ol" the central casting 11 and upon a cover 45 provided for the latter. At its top, the easing 43 is provided with an axial opening adapted to receive a flange on the conduit' 47 which thus is axially connected with the carbureting chamber 42. It Will be understood that the other end 48 of the conduit 47 is connected to the internal combustion engine, and that the supply of explosive mixture is controlled in the usual way by the butterfly-valve 49. It will also be observed that the pipe 30 passes through the conduit 47 and is provided above the conduit with a nut 50 which engages the conduit 47 and forces the latter and the casing 43 intovengagement with one another, and also forces the casing 43 into engagement with the cover plate 45 when the wing-nut 37 is tightened.

In the particular embodiment of the invention shown,.the cleansing and i'noistening vessel 19 and the mixing chamber are provided with heating jackets through which a portion of the hot exhaust gases from the engine may be conveyed. These jackets consist of casings 53and 54, preferably of sheet metal, of the form best shown in Figure l.

The fuel is introduced into the air while the latter is passing through the circumferential passage 41 leading from the intermediate chamber 40 to the carbureting chamber 42; and the arrangement whereby the fuel is conveyed to this passage will now be described. The central casting is provided with an extension GO which may be integral with said casting or may he formed separately and secured thereto. This extension is bored so as to form passages therein. Extending.downwardly from the bottom of extension GO, is a tube G1 having a closed bottom and connected to the fuel reservoir 12 through a passage (32 extending inwardly through the extension (30 and com municating with a. circumferential passage G3 formed in the outer bottom edge of the intermediate chamber 40 and communicating with the reservoir 15, these parts being best shown in Figures 1 and 6. ln these passages from the reservoir 12 to the tube 61, there is either a restricted portion of fixed size or :in adjustable restricted portion such as that provided by a needle-valve not shown. The fuel in the tube 61 is drawn out through a pipe 65 which extends downwardly into .said tube and thus makes connection with the latter near its bottom. This pipe (i5 at its upper end communicates with a passage (3G, which in turn communicates with a passage G7 extending inwardly through the extension (il) and into the circumferential passage 41 through which the air passes from intermediate chamber 40 into the carburcting chamber 42. The passage G7 may contain either a restricted portion of fixed size or an adjustable restricted portion such as that provided by the needle-valve 68.

My carburetor is also provided with means for allowing air to pass from the intermediate chamber 40 directly into the mixing chamber 42 independently of the circum'fcr cntial connection 41. This means may conv sist of a valve 7 5 of the form best shown in Figure 1, centrally arranged in the cover 45 of the central casting 11. As shown, the valve 75 is provided with a downwardly extending hub 7G having an inturned flanged bottom which engages Vwith a sleeve 7T .slidingly arranged on the pipe 30. rl`he sleeve 77 and the valve 75 are yieldingly held in the position shown in Figurev l by a coiled spring 78 surrounding the pipe 3() and engaging the top of the-sleeve 77. The upper end of the coiled sprintr 78 engages the buttom of a circular plate 80 provided with an opening through which the pipe 30 extends as shown in Figure 1. The cover 45 for the central casting is provided with vertically standing tins 81 of form best shown in Figure 4; and the plate 80 is clamped against the top of said fins by any suitable means such as screws 82 passing through plate 80 and into the cover-45. The cover 45, the plate 80 and the fins 81 thus provide means for directing the air coming through the valve 75 into the path of the fuel and air mixture entering the mixing chamber l2v through the circumferential connection 4l between that chamber and the intermediatichamber 40. It will be noted that the tins 81 are so formed and arranged that the air lou ` air takes place may have a cylindrical wall 86 of glass or any other suitable material. Glass is preferred because it permits the interior operation to be observed. At its bottom edge, the casing 86 is adapted to tit within the flanged edge 87 of a member 88 which .is provided with tangential slots 90, as shown in Figures 7 and 9.Y The member 88 may be formed of any suitable material, and may be either molded or machined to 'l the Ydesired form. The liquid retaining bottom of the vessel 85 consists ot a cylindrical cup 94 which extends upwardly somewhat beyond the top ot the flange 87 of the member 88 and is provided with a rib 95 which frictionally engages a groove in the member 88. The cup 94 may be removed when it is necessary to clean the device or dissembleit for any reason. The top of the vessel 85 consists of a langed cover 96 having van axially connected conduit 97 through which the moistened and cleansed air passes to the carburetor. The flanged member 90 is pro vided with an axial opening through which extends a pipe 98 which serves both as a feed pipe for the cleansing and moistening liquid and as a bolt or tie-rod for holding the various parts together. The pipe 98 is provided near its top with a threaded portion engaged by a nut 99 which cooperateswith the top of a lug 100 on the flanged cover 96; and at its lower end the pipe 98 is threaded and engaged by a nut 101 which cooperates with a spring 102 located between said nut and the top of a recess in the bottom ot the member 88, as clearly shown in Figure 7. When the various arts are assembled, as shown in Figure 7, t e pressure of the spring 102 placed under compression by the niit 101 tends to hold the member 88 snugly against the bottom of the casing 86,*which in turn is held in close engagement with the bottom oi the flanged cover 96. It desired, packing rings 104 may be interposed between the top and bottom edges of the shell 86 and the parts with which those edges cooperate. The slotted member 88 is provided with holes 106 which connect the space below the member 88 with the space above that meniber. The pipe 98, which is preferablyopen at its bottom end, is also provided with one mixed within the.

`ing and moistening of the air.

or more holes 107- located .justabove the upper surface of the member 88. The pipe 98 at its upper end isconnected through a pipe 108 to a sealed reservoir (not shown)l containing thesupply of cleansing and moistening liquid. l/Vhenever the level of the i' liquid in the cleansing and moisteningvesscl 85 is below the topfof the holes 107,air. will. enter those holes and will bubble upward through the pipes 98 V`and 108 to the reservoir, thereby permitting liquid to flow downward into the vessel-85 until the level rises above the holes 107. The air to be cleansed and, moistened enters downwardly through the annulary space between the top of the cup 94 and the outside of the casing 86, through the slots 90, under the lower edge of thecasing 8G and upwardly through the inner portions of the slots 90 which are covered with the cleansing and. moistening liquid. Owing to the tangentialarrangement of the slots 90, the flow of air through said slots sets up a whirling motion in the cleansing and moistening liquid, which contributes to thorough mixing of the air and liquid, and consequently to thorough cleans- As the liquid in the vessel 85 is used up, air will gradually enter the Apipe 98 through the holes 107 and will pass up into the reservior, thereby permitting additional liquid to flow from the reservoir into the vessel 85. air cleansing and moistening device which is shown in Figure 7 is shown in Figure 8 as connected through thev conduits 97 and 110 with the air intake opening of the carburetor 111, of any well known form, which need not be described. In fact, the invention, in so 'far `as it relates to an air washer, may be used in any connection in which the4 Washing or moistening of air is desirable.

While I have shown certain constructions in which my invention may be embodied, I wish it to be understood that these details of construction may be modified in many respects without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

1. An air cleaner and moistener comprising a chamber for the moistening liquid, a chamber above the same in which the air is to be moistened, the walls of saidV upper The chamber litting within those of said lower` l 2. In a carburetor, the combination of :t vessel Within which the air is cleansed and moistened, an intermediate chamber' connected with said vessel, a curbureting chamber connected with said intermediate chamber, a conduit conneeted with said carbureting chamber, a feed pipe for the cleansing and moistening liquid extending through said conduit, carbureting chamber, intermediate chamber and vessel, and means eo- 10 operating with said pipe for clampingr said parts in cooperative relation.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature to this speeicaton.

HERBERT MCCORNACK. 

